Method for manufacturing a taped box



Aug. 9, 1966 w. GROBMAN 3,264,954

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A TAPED BOX Filed April 9, 1965 INVENTOR! 5% LA a: WILLIAM GROBMAN Saw 1 4 United States Patent 3,264,954 METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A TAPED BOX William Grobrnan, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Samuel M. Langston Company, Camden, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 446,956 8 Claims. (Cl. 9336) The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of paperboard boxes and more particularly to a novel method of manufacturing a taped paperboard box which may be carried out on a modified folder-gluer machine.

Paperboard boxes are most commonly of a glued construction wherein a glue tab foldably extending from one edge of a box blank is glued in overlapping relation to an opposed edge of the blank. There are several disadvantages of such a box construction. The overlapping flap adds a third paperboard layer to the folded box creating an uneven surface which prevents the level stacking of the folded boxes and tends to deface the printing on the box surfaces. A further drawback of the glued construction is the unavoidable material waste resulting from the formation of the glue tab. In addition, the presence of the glue tab interrupts what otherwise would be a straight blank edge causing complications in the feeding and aligning of the blank during the printing, slitting and scoring operations.

These several disadvantages are overcome by the use of a taped joint in place of the glue tab joint. The absence of the glue tab in a taped joint eliminates material waste in forming the blank and permits all of the blank edges to be straight and uninterrupted. Since the joined edges of a taped box are in abutting rather than overlapping relation when the box is in the folded contion, the surfaces of the box in this condition are flat, allowing a level stacking of the boxes without defacing the printing on the box surfaces.

The present invention provides a novel method of manufacturing a taped box which is particularly adapted for execution on a modified folder-gluer machine. The preferred taped box construction may thus be produced by virtue of the present invention on automatic box apparatus designed for glued box manufacture with only minor modification thereof.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel method for manufacturing a taped paperboard box.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a taped paperboard box which may be carried out on modified conventional box manufacturing equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing taped paperboard boxes which is simple, reliable and capable of being accomplished at high speeds.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a flat box blank of a type suited for application of the present method;

FIGURE 2 is a view as in FIGURE 1 showing the blank following application of a tape strip to an edge thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG- URE 1 as it appears during a stage of the folding operation;

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of the blank of FIGURE 3 as it appears in a further folded stage;

FIGURE 5 is an edge view showing the blank in the completely folded condition and showing a sealing roll effecting a sealing of the taped joint thereof;

3,264,954 Patented August: 9, 1966 FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the folded and taped blank;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view showing apparatus for applying strips of tape to a flat blank edge and for moistening the overhanging edge of the tape following application to the blank;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 showing details of the tape applying assembly; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 7 showing the moistening device for moistening the overhanging edge of the applied tape.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a flat paperboard box blank 10 as it appears following delivery from a slotter-scorer. The blank is characterized by parallel longitudinal score lines 12 and 14 extending between the blank edges 16 and 18, opposed pairs of transverse .slots 26, 22 and 24 extending between the score lines and the blank edges 26 and 28, and score lines 30, 32 and 34- aligned with an extending respectively between the slots 20, 22 and 24. If the box is printed, the printing step normally precedes the scoring and slotting operation, the printed surface of the blank being that directed upwardly in the drawings.

As can be understood by reference to the drawings, the folding and sealing of the blank 10 to form a flattened box assembly is accomplished by folding the blank 10 along the score lines 30 and 34 and foldably joining the blank edges 16 and 18 such as by means of a glue flap or, in the present case, by means of a tape strip. The present method is illustrated in the successive steps shown in FIGURES 25. As shown in FIGURE 2, the first step comprises the application of a tape strip 36 to the blank edge 18. The tape strip 36 extends for substantially the entire distance between the score lines 12 and 14- with one-half of the strip projecting outwardly over the blank edge 18. The tape strip 36 is preferably of the familiar gummed paper type which is moistened just prior to application but may be of a wide variety of other types including the pressure-sensitive types.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the blank, following application of the tape strip 36, is folded along the score lines 30 and 34 with the outer portions of the blank being folded downwardly. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the folding is continued until the folded portions lie in a planar relation with the edge 16 adjoining the edge 18. In this position, one-half of the tape strip 36 extends over the edge 16 and is sealed thereagainst to foldably join the edges 16 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 5. Although in the illustrated steps the tape is applied to the upper surface of the blank and the outer portions of the blank are folded downwardly, the tape may of course be applied to the lower surface of the blank and the outer blank portions folded upwardly to achieve the same assembly.

The advantages of the described method become more apparent when consideration is given to the type of automatic apparatus conventionally used for the folding of paperboard boxes. A typical folder-gluer comprises means at the infeed end for applying glue to a glue tab, and various guide elements and belt conveying elements for effecting the folding of the blank with the glue flap lapping the opposing blank edge. An example of such a folder-gluer is shown in the co-pending application Serial Number 316,495, filed October 14, 1963. By applying a tape strip in accordance with the above-described method to an edge of the blank prior to the folding of the blank, the folding and sealing of the blank may be effected on conventional folding devices in the same manner as if a glue flap were extending from the blank edge rather than the tape strip. The only modification J that need be made is the providing of means for applying the tape strips.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show the final stages of the folding and sealing of a blank as effected by a device such as that shown in the above-identified co-pending application. The initial folding of the blank is etfected by the appropriately shaped folding bars 40 along which the blank is moved by the upper traction belts 42 traveling beneath the pressure rolls 44. The folding is completed by the spaced belts 46 which are inclined upwardly to fold the blank into the planar disposition shown in FIGURE 5. A sealing roll 48 then engages the edges 16 and 18 to insure a proper sealing thereof, in this instance by the tape strip 36. The blank folding mechanism which is conventionally utilized with glued boxes may thus be employed with equal effectiveness for the folding of the taped blanks. The primary modification required is the replacement of the glue applying device with a tape strip applying device.

FIGURES 7-9 illustrate an apparatus for applying tape strips to a blank edge which is adapted for use with conventional folder-gluer machines. The device includes a housing 50 enclosing and rotatably supporting a roll of gummed tape 52 to be applied in strips to the edges of the blanks passing horizontally therebeneath between the upper and lower traction belts 42 and 43. The tape from the roll 52 passes downwardly between opposed guide rolls 54 and between the opposed rotary knives 56 which are of such a diameter as to cut the tape into strips of appropriate length. From the rotary knives, the cut strips pass between opposed guide elements 58 and are advanced therethrough by feed rolls 60. Half of the gummed side of the tape is moistened by the moistener roll 62 of a moistener assembly 64 positioned adjacent the guide elements 53.

The partially moistened tape strips 36 are directed by the guide fingers 66 against the roll 68 which bears against the upper surface of the horizontally moving blanks so as to apply the strips to the blank edges in the projecting manner illustrated in FIGURE 8. A sealing roll 70 spaced beneath the roll 68 serves to seal the tape strip 36 to the blank edge 18. The knife rolls 56, feed rolls 60, and the drive for roll 68 are appropriately coordinated and synchronized with the blank delivery mechanism or any portion of the slotter so as to apply the tape strips 36 in the proper position on the blanks. Thus, registry of the tape strip 36 with respect to the edges of blank 10 is accomplished by reliance on the registration of the blank at the slotter. In this manner, additional registration equipment is not required and the timing of application of tape strip 36 is accomplished in a reliable automatic manner. The dry edge of tape strip 36 may be driven by rolls 69 and 71 if desired.

Spaced from the roll 68 and sealing roll 70 in the direction of blank travel is an additional moistening assembly 72 for moistening the projecting portions of the tape strips. The moistening assembly 72 includes a moistening roll 74 driven in rotation in the reservoir 76 by a drive means 78. As shown in FIGURE 9, the moistening assembly is positioned so that the moistening roll 74 contacts the lower surface of the projecting half of the tape strip 36. A shoe 80 depending in vertical spring-biased relationship from the shoe support 82 bears against the upper surface of the tape strip and insures contact of the projecting portion of the tape strip with the moistening roll v74.

In the operation of the described tape strip applying and moistening arrangement, the tape from the roll 52, upon actuation of the drive mechanism in response to the passage of a blank ther-ebeneath, passes between the rotary knives 56 and is cut into strips 36 of the proper length. The strips 36 are advanced by the feed rolls 60 and the roll 68 across the moistening roll 62 and are applied to the blank edges in the manner illustrated and described. The moistening of the projecting tape edge by the moistening assembly 72 prepares the tape strip for sealing against the opposed blank edge 16 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5 to produce the taped folded box shown in FIGURE 6.

Thereafter, the taped blanks are ejected or discharged onto a conveyor forming a part of or leading to squaring equipment. The purpose of the squaring equipment is to apply force or pressure against edges 26 and 28 to assure that these side edges of the blank are properly aligned. Conventional squaring equipment can be utilized so no changes are required.

It is within the scope of the invention to prevent the sealing of tape strip 36 across edge 16 until the blank is under the control of the squaring equipment. If such is desired, roll 48 should be eliminated and the projecting portion of tape strip 36 is preferably bent upwardly in FIGURE 9 at an angle of between 5 and 30. In this manner the final sealing of tape strip 36 across edge 16 will be accomplished with positive assurance that the edges 26 and 28 on the panels of the blank 10 are aligned. In either alternative, the application of the tape strip 36 to edge 18, folding of the blank 10 along fold lines 30 and 34, and the final sealing of tape strip 36 across edge 16 are accomplished while the box blank is moving at high speed. In regard to speed, the present invention facilitates processing blanks at rates of 200-300 per min- I ute dependingon blank size.

The strip applying assembly shown in FIGURES 7-9 takes the place of the glue applying apparatus in the usual folder-gluer machine. Any other strip applying assembly may be used so long as it can perform the same function of applying tape strips in proper registry at the speeds required. If desired, the illustrated arrangement can be modified so that the full width of the tape is moistened by the moistening roll 62, the moistening assembly 72 then being unnecessary. In a further modification, a plain paper tape may be used and glue applied prior to application of the tape to the blanks, glue rolls supplanting the moistening rolls of the illustrated embodiments.

Manifestly, changes in details of construction and sequence of steps can be effected by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in and limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing a paperboard box from a blank comprising the steps of mechanically applying a tape strip to a first edge of a flat blank with the tape strip projecting over said blank edge while moving the fiat blank, folding the blank while it is moving to present the taped edge to a second edge of the blank with the projecting portion of the tape strip overlapping the second edge, and securing the tape strip to the second edge to form a foldable connection between the first and second blank edges.

2. The method of manufacturing a paperboard box from a blank comprising the steps of unwinding tape from a roll, cutting the tape into strips, securing a tape strip to a first edge of a fiat blank while the blank is moving with the tape strip extending substantially parallel to said edge and with a substantial portion of the strip projecting over the edge, continuing movement of the blank, then folding the blank to present the taped edge to a substantially parallel opposed second edge of the blank with the projecting portion of the tape strip overlapping the second edge, and securing the tape strip to the second edge to form a foldable connection between the opposed first and second blank edges while the folded blank is moving.

3. A method of manufacturing a paperboard box comprising the steps of slitting and scoring a moving box blank, continuously moving the thusly-formed blank along a predetermined path, applying a part of a tape strip to said box blank along a predetermined area on a first edge of the blank while the blank is moving along said path with a substantial portion of the strip projecting over said edge, folding the blank at a subsequent area along said path to present the taped edge to an opposed second edge of the blank with the remainder of the tape strip overlapping said second edge, and securing the tape strip to said second edge to form a foldaible connection between said edges while said blank is moving along said path.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 including squaring the blank after said step of folding the blank.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3 including the step of registering the tape strip with respect to the box blank so that the tape strip overlies said predetermined area.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3 including the step of cutting the tape strip from a roll, and activating a dried adhesive on a longitudinally extending half of said tape strip before the tape strip is applied to said first edge of the blank, and activating the other longitudina'l'ly extending half of the tape strip after the tape strip has been applied to the first edge of the blank.

7. A method of manufacturing paperboard boxes comprising the steps of continuously moving fiat box blanks along a predetermined path, applying a portion of a tape strip to each box blank at a predetermined area on each blank on a first edge of each blank while each blank is moving along said path with a substantial portion of the strip projecting over said edge, folding each blank at a subsequent area along said path to present the taped 6 edge to an opposed second edge of the respective blank with the remainder of the tape strip overlapping said second edge, and securing the tape strip of each box blank to its respective second edge to form a foldable connection between said edges while the blanks are sequentially moving along said path at a rate in excess of box blanks per minute.

8. A method of manufacturing paperboard boxes comprising the steps of continuously moving flat box blanks along a predetermined path, applying a portion of :a tape strip to each box blank at a predetermined area on the upper surface on each blank on a first edge of each blank while each blank is moving along said path with a substantial portion of the strip projecting over said edge, folding end portions of each blank downwardly at a subsequent area along said path to present the taped edge to an opposed second edge of the respective blank with the remainder of the tape strip overlapping said second edge, and securing the tape strip of each box blank to its respective second edge to form a foldable connection between said edges while the blanks are sequentially moving along said path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PAPERBOARD BOX FROM A BLANK COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MECHANICALLY APPLYING A TAPE STRIP A FIRST EDGE OF A FLAT BLANK WITH THE TAPE STRIP PROJECTING OVER SAID BLANK EDGE WHILE MOVING THE FLAT BLANK, FOLDING THE BLANK WHILE IT IS MOVING TO PRESENT THE TAPED EDGE TO A SECOND EDGE OF THE BLANK WITH THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE TAPE STRIP OVERLAPPING THE SECOND EDGE, AND SECURING THE TAPE STRIP TO THE SECOND EDGE TO FORM A FOLDABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND BLANK EDGES. 